How to make an inclusive classroom

‘Inclusion’ is a word that gets thrown around a lot in education, but what does inclusion actually mean?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on PlanBee

In the simplest terms, inclusion in education means ensuring every child, no matter what their individual needs or barriers to learning, has equal access to learning and the same opportunities to achieve.

Inclusion in schools is not just about providing additional support to children with special educational needs;it’s about creating a learning environment that works for all pupils, whether they have a disability, speak English as an additional language, are a member of a minority community, come from a low-income family – or find it harder to learn and achieve for other reasons.

This creates a problem for teachers; how do you ensure inclusion for all of these children with their diverse needs and barriers to learning?

While it is usually necessary to put tailored plans in place to meet the specific needs of children in your class, there are a number of things that all teachers can do to create a safe, happy, purposeful and inclusive environment. It is these broad, all-purpose, examples of inclusion in the classroom which are covered in this article.

Who benefits from inclusion?

The 2016 Alana comprehensive review of the impact of inclusive education found that the vast majority of learners without additional needs were either not impacted at all, or actually benefited from the provision of inclusive classroom strategies. Effective inclusion benefits all students because they can all take advantage of some of the additional support.

Why inclusion works

Supporting and celebrating diversity and inclusion in school works because it gives all children the potential to achieve, and creates an environment where those with additional needs are not segregated and seen as ‘other’; they are part of the same community of learners. Inclusion addresses negative cultural attitudes and misconceptions about people with disabilities or those who are members of minority communities.

Inclusive classroom strategies

• Define clear minimum standards for behaviour.
• Enforce those standards consistently.
• Deal with low level disruption in a sensitive way.
• Create opportunities to listen to all children.
• Develop a ‘scaffolded’ approach to learning.
• Be aware of the specific needs of every child in your class.
• Provide support for them in ways which benefit ALL children in your class.
• Create a calm, purposeful, learning environment.
• Clearly display timetables and key information.
• Use pre-assessment to inform your planning.
• Let children choose how to show what they have learned.
• Don’t compare the progress of one child to another; personal progress is key.

Why inclusion is important

Inclusion works because it gives children what we all want and need – a sense of belonging. Creating an inclusive classroom, where everyone feels valued, is incredibly powerful. You might not consider yourself to be the greatest teacher in the world, but you can be the greatest teacher in a child’s life—the one they always remember, who had the greatest impact on them—by including them and making them feel safe and valued.